Russia and Ukraine exchanged 270 prisoners each
Russia said it swapped 270 servicemen each on Friday, while Ukraine had yet to confirm the exchange. Ukraine said it received 261 military personnel and nine civilians, and thanked the United States and United Arab Emirates for facilitating. Russia said its freed servicemen were in Belarus.
More context
Ukraine had yet to confirm the swap, while Russia said 270 servicemen each were exchanged. Kyiv described the swap as the third stage of the process. Most of the Ukrainian military personnel handed over had been detained since 2022, while some had been captured in 2018 and 2020 during the war in Donbas. The Russian servicemen were in neighboring Belarus, where Russian human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova was assisting them. They were expected to travel to Russia after psychological and medical assistance, then go to Defense Ministry medical facilities for further treatment and rehabilitation. Separately, Ukraine’s human rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets reported seven Ukrainians returned to Ukrainian-controlled territory and seven people traveled to Russia in an International Committee of the Red Cross-supported family reunification effort.
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Reporting
- Reuters — Russia and Ukraine have swapped 270 prisoners of war each, Russian state media reports
- ledger-enquirer.com — Russia and Ukraine have swapped 270 prisoners of war each, Russian state media reports | Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
- tvpworld.com — Russia and Ukraine swap 270 PoWs each
- The Moscow Times — Russia and Ukraine Exchange 540 POWs - The Moscow Times
- politico.eu — Ukraine and Russia each exchange 270 prisoners of war – POLITICO
- Anadolu Agency — Russia, Ukraine swap 270 servicemen each in latest prisoner exchange
Verifier’s note
Multiple publishers report that Russia and Ukraine exchanged 270 prisoners each on October 23, 2026. The event is current and the reports are consistent on the central claim.